PicoBlog

Hello, remember me? I know, it’s been awhile! But there’s a good reason for that: I’m VERY CLOSE to completing the draft of my book! You may remember that it’s tentatively titled Sort Of Funny Guides: North American Wildlife, and is due to be published by National Geographic Books in spring of 2025. (The name could still change, but that’s the gist.) And unlike the kids’ books I’ve published, this one will be geared toward teens and adults.

A few weeks ago, fashion influencer Emily Schuman posted the latest reel in her Not Styled/Styled series. In these videos, Emily wears outfits the way any mere mortal might wear them — say, a shirt with pants — and then she wears them STYLED. This means she adds cute shoes, a purse and some giant sunglasses, yes. Sometimes a jauntily tied sweater. But mostly, it means she tucks in her shirt.

Where were you at 10:30 p.m. eastern standard time on February 10, 2023? I can tell you precisely where I was: Sprawled on my couch after coming home from a nice little date, already in my pajamas with my face lathered in so many creams and serums it looked like a plump little glazed donut, figuring out what I’d watch on TV that evening. Was I going to finish season three of The Sopranos, I wondered (I’m watching the show for the first time, no spoilers, please!

For those of you wondering what’s been happening at Ballerina Farm now that the Mrs. World pageant has come and gone, I have an update. For those of you who are blissfully clueless about what Ballerina Farm is, I LOVE THAT for you! Ballerina Farm has always lightly dabbled in fitness influencer content - lots of pregnant workout reels, lots of green drinks, lots of dark morning gym runs. Today, Hannah announced that she was upping her protein intake in order to build more muscle.

What is the life parallel to the one you can see? The truth beneath the smooth surface you present to the world? Let's talk about it. ✨ Twice monthly posts, plus visits from radically authentic guests. Welcome to our collective unburdening! No ThanksncG1vNJzZmiaoqS8rLHLsqanq16owqO%2F05qapGaTpLpw

What do you say? You’re given a blank sheet of paper. You’re invited onto a stage. You’re handed the intercom thingy found on certain aisles at Wal-mart. There’s so many messages we can put out into the world . . . My children have asked for a story. It’s been a full day and is getting late, so something long is out of the question. The little free library of my mind runs through options.

Thanks for reading The Nonlinear Life, a newsletter about navigating life's ups and downs. Every Monday and Thursday we explore family, health, work, and meaning, with the occasional dad joke and dose of inspiration. If you're new around here, read my introductory post, learn about me, or check out our archives. And if you enjoyed this article, please subscribe or share with a friend. --- Looking for a fun and easy family tradition?

I rewrote the headline of this article four times. My first attempts were too pessimistic, too conditional, too passive. Pessimism, conditionality, and passivity remain the preferred states for too many people, organizations, companies, and groups that should be in the fight alongside us. ncG1vNJzZmiqlZqxqK3LnqVnq6WXwLWtwqRlnKedZL1ww8RmrqKknGLAosLEZqauqqOaubex0maYp5xdpMKzecKorKesoq58pLvMppynrKM%3D

The wave of Japanese horror films in the late ‘90s and early ‘00s—which, in turn, led to a wave of English-language remakes in Hollywood a few years later—is usually said to have started with Ring in 1998, an international sensation that Gore Verbinski would turn into a hit in 2002. With its huge hook of a premise about a cursed video tape that would kill its viewer seven days after watching it, Hideo Nakata’s film set the visual terms for an emerging movement: An association between technology and the supernatural, pale ghosts whose twitchy gaits evoke disruptive glitches in bandwidth, and backstories of abuse and psychological pain, a device that has now manifested itself in post-mortem restlessness.